Kindergartners on Patty Mitchell's North Colonie bus get more than a ride to school.

Along with manners and being kind to one another, the students learn songs, practice counting and at Thanksgiving Mitchell teaches them a poem.

"I enjoy all their little smiling faces and they're so happy to go to school," said Mitchell who has been with the North Colonie Central School District for nearly 20 years. "I enjoy their company, from the older ones right down to the younger ones. I have so many good days."

It's not just the kids that keep Mitchell coming to work in all types of weather, it's the staff and administration, she said. Mitchell also has dental and health insurance, something not every district provides for their drivers, she said. "It's run so well and I feel appreciated."

With the testimony of employees like Mitchell, the district earned the distinction of being the second place finisher large employers in the Times Union Top Workplace survey for 2015. The North Colonie Central School District, which has about 1,017 employees, made the list last year, too, ranking fourth for large workplaces in the area.

More Information

North Colonie Central School District

Business sector: Primary/ Secondary School

Headquarters: Latham

Year founded: 1950

Number of employees: 1,017

"Our people here uplift one another and that's why I enjoy coming to work everyday," said district Superintendent D. Joseph Corr.

"I'm very, very proud and I think that it is a significant accomplishment that we all share," he said about the distinction. "Everyone is a part of that and everyone is pulling in the same direction and we're moving forward."

Omar Williams, a music teacher at Shaker Junior High, grew up in Latham and attended school in the district. While working at a school in Brooklyn he saw there was an opening and jumped at the chance to return. Now, six years later, he couldn't be happier, Williams said.

"They give me that autonomy, that independence," he said. "I can let the kids explore and develop musically. They let me experiment."

The administration also allows him to attend conferences and bring new ideas back, he said.

For Renata Relyea, a math instructional coach at Forts Ferry Elementary, it's the teamwork that makes the district a top place to work. "The staff I work with, they're so dedicated. They're so hard working, and I love their open-mindedness and how they collaborate with each other," she said. "It's so important and you don't find that in a lot of places."

Whenever Relyea has a new lesson or new way of teaching a subject the teachers jump on board, she said. "I think that's where we succeed is being able to work together as a team and build each other up. That is extremely important, how we build each other up and support each other in these hard education times."

It all comes down to the spirit of community, Corr said.

"We're all working together for the same purpose. For the same mission, which is to provide the very best education for each and every one of our students," he said. "Whether in direct support of teaching and learning, or whether they support that process through their work in transportation, through their work in maintenance, or through their work in food services, everyone is pulling together."